After a brief two-year hiatus, Alessia Cara has returned to the spotlight with a new album and a new groove. “Love and Hyperbole” was teased through single drops such as “Dead Man,” “(Isn’t It) Obvious,” and “Slow Motion.” Fittingly released on Valentine’s Day, Cara brings a sense of vulnerability to her newest album. With beautiful vocal layering on each track, it’s clear to see how Cara has grown as an artist over the past two years.
In a press conference, Alessia Cara shared how the red theme of the album is meant to reflect a soft and romantic tone, with vulnerable emotions tied into it. Through the first three songs, the beat and energy are consistent and higher, until we reach an emotional break with “Subside.” The string arrangement in the intro captures your heart in a way that I can only describe as encapsulating.
In the conference, Cara gave fantastic advice and words of wisdom to any young or aspiring artists, such as remembering to expand and show all parts of yourself, like she does in “Love and Hyperbole.” Writer’s block is an artist’s biggest roadblock, mental or not, and Cara gave a tip that works best for her: taking time away and letting inspiration come to you on its own. Throughout her music, Alessia Cara has proven time and time again that it is possible to reshape something unfortunate in your life and use it to teach a lesson you may not have been looking for. Sacrifice is something we often do not mention enough in the topic of romance, how people make themselves smaller in an effort to use it as an act of love. In my opinion, “Love and Hyperbole” shows this extensively and delicately. “Run Run,” the fifth track on the album, takes the trope of ‘don’t mess with a girl like me’ from the stereotypical reasoning that ‘you’re too good for someone’ to the realistic side of ‘I’m a mess and that’s okay, but I deserve better than this.’
The most emotionally potent song from the album, from my point of view, is “Get To You.” If songs tell stories, this is the slow and heartbreaking end to a relationship, drawn out because the two people are beginning to drift apart. One side is from perspective, not knowing how to reach the person on the other side, as they drift away, and we begin to accept the end. The lyrics speak in such a deep way that they make me think of how people will begin to think that they don’t matter to their partner. Isn’t It Obvious is the shift from perspective to tell the other person how it should be obvious how much they care for them, even going to say “if it’s any consolation, you’re my favorite”.
“The Garden Interlude” is a very relaxed and laid-back song to lead us into the energy returning for “Nighttime Thing.” Upon first listening to the intro of the song, I am praying they include it in the next season of the hit Netflix show, Bridgerton. The string arrangement fits the criteria for the soundtrack perfectly, and I believe the lyrics could be well-used in a romantic montage. The catchy hook and butterfly-feeling you get while listening is one I would compare to having a crush, which feels on point for the lyrics.
The next song, “Feels Right,” has a very 2000s vibe to it, and follows the same narrative as “(Isn’t It) Obvious,” and has a laid-back feel to it. Following “Feels Right” is “Fire,” which is the most likely song I would recommend to my blues/country-loving father. It vaguely feels like a song that would have a feature from someone like Noah Kahan or Tyler Childers. The layered vocals in the second half of the song and riffs/runs hooked me for sure. Last but certainly not least, we have “Slow Motion” and “Clearly.” I have LOVED “Slow Motion” since it came out, the smooth and alluring mood it sets is a perfect way to ease us into the end of the album, and is definitely one to remember. “Clearly” is the heart-wrenching acceptance and fondness looking back on a relationship that no longer feels like an open wound, but an old healed scar that stands as a reminder. It wraps up the narrative and storylines of the album so nicely and leaves you with the bittersweet feeling that even though the love came to an end, your life didn’t end with the relationship.
Alessia Cara has done it again, and I have no doubt she will return even stronger with new music when she does. It has been an honor getting to watch her grow and evolve as an artist, and I truly cannot wait to see what she does next.
